DRM, or not DRM: that is the question (poll)

Alexander Turcic · 04-07-2007, 10:09 PM

Indeed, a very interesting question asked by Robert Nagle over at TeleRead: If you had the chance to decide among two similar e-reader devices, of which only one supports DRM content, which device would you pick? Any reason to pick the device that does not support DRM?

Make sure to also check out the readers' comments @ TeleRead... some good answers there!

CCDMan · 04-07-2007, 10:53 PM

As much as I hate DRM and think it will die of it's own weight sooner or later, the real deciding factor is now and will always be content.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 04-07-2007, 11:47 PM

If you are dead-set against ever buying DRM content, get the non-DRM reader and show those manufacturers where your money goes.

Or... Presuming that the aforementioned device supports DRM and non-DRM content, go ahead and pick that one, and chance an occasional DRM book if you want. But expect manufacturers to take that as tacit approval that DRM is okay with you.

Liviu_5 · 04-07-2007, 11:52 PM

I own one device that supports drm (Ebks1150) but I never bought a drm book for it, never even registered it, and a device that does not (Nokia 770/Fbreader) and I can read all my ebooks on either, the choice depending on various factors (books that I reread or short story magazines/collections I tend to Ebk first due to better navigation, first read novels I tend to Nokia since the reading experience is better even than paper for me), so support or lack of such for drm is completely unimportant for me as long I can put my own books reasonably easy on the device.
Since I never buy a book I cannot own (drm books that you cannot convert to open format you DO NOT own, just rent/license for some time), drm support is irrelevant for me.

RWood · 04-08-2007, 12:02 AM

The DRM support on the Sony Reader was not a factor for me. The support of the other formats was a factor. `What a manufacturer may or may not do in the future is not the point. At anytime I can freeze my unit and not update the firmware. This is also true of computer operating systems. (I still have DOS running in one box here and it has not been updated in over twelve years.)

As for sending a message to the company by buying a non-DRM reader, it won't work. They would never think that way. It must be something else like the advertisements or the box color. The message will be sent if the rreader sales are good but the DRM book purchases are poor. That is a message!

NatCh · 04-08-2007, 12:12 AM

For me, it's not so much does it have DRM support at all, but rather does it support non-DRM formats. That being said, I do try to buy as much material as I can sans-DRM, I will buy stuff if I really want to read it, and I can't get it any other way, but it's a struggle to make myself do so, and a struggle I haven't undertaken very often.

Jorgen · 04-08-2007, 05:39 AM

I agree fully with NatCh. As long as I can make my own books, I am happy. Some interesting books will unfortunately only be available in a DRM format and if I really, really, really want that book, I will buy it. But books with DRM will be at the bottom of my wish-list and many of them I will probably never buy.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 04-08-2007, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

The message will be sent if the rreader sales are good but the DRM book purchases are poor. That is a message!

Probably true. They'll figure out from their book sales if non-DRM is outselling DRM significantly.

Recently, if the e-book was DRM'd, and still expensive, I just bought the paperback. (Not that that helps e-books any...) I've also been consciously spending less time at DRM sites, and looking for more non-DRM sites to potentially buy from.

Liviu_5 · 04-08-2007, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

As for sending a message to the company by buying a non-DRM reader, it won't work. They would never think that way. It must be something else like the advertisements or the box color. The message will be sent if the rreader sales are good but the DRM book purchases are poor. That is a message!

As far as I know from the Fictionwise group (though I do not guarantee accuracy, just what was mentioned there by people who seem knowledgeable), at Fictionwise non-drm outsells drm by 10 to 1 which is the same ratio mentioned in the current music debate. Consistency...

nekokami · 04-08-2007, 02:49 PM

The choice I really wanted was "DRM is irrelevant. I would choose the reader based on other features." I have the books I want on my readers, for the most part, and I ensure that the authors (and publishers) of those books are paid to the same degree that I do with paper books-- I want my favorite writers to keep writing and publishing. 'Nuff said.

b_k · 04-08-2007, 02:58 PM

My 2 cents:
If I have to pay almost the same for the paper and the e-book version I will go for paper and see where I find the e-version (preferably in plain-text format). Luckily we don't have such a thing as DMCA over here.

you may call me a pirate now, but My point of view in this case is, the author got paid for his work if I buy the paper version. I'm definitely not going to pay for the same thing twice. Especially not if I get locked into a DRM-system.

Moonraker · 04-08-2007, 05:12 PM

I have books in all formats - paper, audio and ebooks.

It's only the DRM'd ebooks that cause me problems (see this thread).

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...threadid=10314

Because I want to encourage more authors to commit to ebooks (most won't unless they are secure) I continue to purchase them.

However, in my view, the way ebook publishers treat their customers is tantamount to assuming all their customers are criminals! It annoys me that I have to "sign a contract" in order to read a book!

THJahar · 04-09-2007, 07:02 AM

Even though I've purchased DRM'ed books and my second reader supports them, I will invariably remove the DRM by whatever means necessary. (even using the 'analogue hole' PrtScrn OCR) I'd rather have a book thats not formatted as well than one I cannot view or store wherever I want.
I know that I'm by an offshoot supporting DRM by buying in that format, but I do try to get non-drm books first but sometimes you have no choice.

slayda · 04-09-2007, 10:18 AM

DRM only makes copying difficult (and illegal) just like copying paper books is difficult (and illegal). However, unlike paper books DRMed books can only be read by certain devices. If they would provide the readers free, as they do for paper books, then maybe(?) DRM would be OK -- NOT!

rlauzon · 04-09-2007, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slayda

DRM only makes copying difficult (and illegal) just like copying paper books is difficult (and illegal).

I see that the Content Cartel's propaganda war against Fair Use is working.

Copying, under certain conditions, is not illegal.

Let's assume that I have a magic box. This box will magically make a duplicate of whatever I put in it.

I have a beautiful (and expensive) copy of The Lord of the Rings. I want to read it at work, but I'm afraid that it will get damaged there. So I put it in my magic box and make a copy. That copy I take to work. The original goes back on my bookshelf.

This type of copying is completely legal.

Now, if I give that copy to a co-worker when I'm done reading it, that's probably illegal. If I sell that copy, it's definitely illegal.

Also completely legal is for me to copy excerpts for purposes of reporting, criticism, etc.

To (sort of) quote Cory Doctorow: DRM does not distinguish between legal and illegal copying. It simply stops all copying.

But the Content Cartel thinks (and wants to push the idea) that all copying is illegal. There is no legal basis for that idea.

View Poll Results: E-reader with or without DRM?
I want to be able to read anything that's available as e-book (including DRM content)	62	51.67%
DRM? That's Down-Right Maddening. PG & non-DRM publishers are my sanctuary	58	48.33%
Voters: 120. You may not vote on this poll

04-07-2007, 10:09 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	DRM, or not DRM: that is the question (poll) Indeed, a very interesting question asked by Robert Nagle over at TeleRead: If you had the chance to decide among two similar e-reader devices, of which only one supports DRM content, which device would you pick? Any reason to pick the device that does not support DRM? Make sure to also check out the readers' comments @ TeleRead... some good answers there!

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04-07-2007, 10:53 PM	#2
CCDMan *** Posts: 335 Karma: 5759 Join Date: Mar 2006 Device: ***	As much as I hate DRM and think it will die of it's own weight sooner or later, the real deciding factor is now and will always be content.

04-07-2007, 11:47 PM	#3
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	If you are dead-set against ever buying DRM content, get the non-DRM reader and show those manufacturers where your money goes. Or... Presuming that the aforementioned device supports DRM and non-DRM content, go ahead and pick that one, and chance an occasional DRM book if you want. But expect manufacturers to take that as tacit approval that DRM is okay with you.

04-07-2007, 11:52 PM	#4
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	I own one device that supports drm (Ebks1150) but I never bought a drm book for it, never even registered it, and a device that does not (Nokia 770/Fbreader) and I can read all my ebooks on either, the choice depending on various factors (books that I reread or short story magazines/collections I tend to Ebk first due to better navigation, first read novels I tend to Nokia since the reading experience is better even than paper for me), so support or lack of such for drm is completely unimportant for me as long I can put my own books reasonably easy on the device. Since I never buy a book I cannot own (drm books that you cannot convert to open format you DO NOT own, just rent/license for some time), drm support is irrelevant for me.

04-08-2007, 12:02 AM	#5
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	The DRM support on the Sony Reader was not a factor for me. The support of the other formats was a factor. `What a manufacturer may or may not do in the future is not the point. At anytime I can freeze my unit and not update the firmware. This is also true of computer operating systems. (I still have DOS running in one box here and it has not been updated in over twelve years.) As for sending a message to the company by buying a non-DRM reader, it won't work. They would never think that way. It must be something else like the advertisements or the box color. The message will be sent if the rreader sales are good but the DRM book purchases are poor. That is a message!

04-08-2007, 12:12 AM	#6
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	For me, it's not so much does it have DRM support at all, but rather does it support non-DRM formats. That being said, I do try to buy as much material as I can sans-DRM, I will buy stuff if I really want to read it, and I can't get it any other way, but it's a struggle to make myself do so, and a struggle I haven't undertaken very often.

04-08-2007, 05:39 AM	#7
Jorgen Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 84 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Spain Device: Sony prs-650, iPod, BEBOOK Mini, Nokia n810, iPaq	I agree fully with NatCh. As long as I can make my own books, I am happy. Some interesting books will unfortunately only be available in a DRM format and if I really, really, really want that book, I will buy it. But books with DRM will be at the bottom of my wish-list and many of them I will probably never buy.

04-08-2007, 02:49 PM	#10
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	The choice I really wanted was "DRM is irrelevant. I would choose the reader based on other features." I have the books I want on my readers, for the most part, and I ensure that the authors (and publishers) of those books are paid to the same degree that I do with paper books-- I want my favorite writers to keep writing and publishing. 'Nuff said.

04-08-2007, 02:58 PM	#11
b_k Übernerd Posts: 238 Karma: 74 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Germany Device: iRex iLiad	My 2 cents: If I have to pay almost the same for the paper and the e-book version I will go for paper and see where I find the e-version (preferably in plain-text format). Luckily we don't have such a thing as DMCA over here. you may call me a pirate now, but My point of view in this case is, the author got paid for his work if I buy the paper version. I'm definitely not going to pay for the same thing twice. Especially not if I get locked into a DRM-system.

04-08-2007, 05:12 PM	#12
Moonraker Addict Posts: 314 Karma: 1002965 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: UK Device: ILiad. Gen 3, PocketBook 360, Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Oasis 2	I have books in all formats - paper, audio and ebooks. It's only the DRM'd ebooks that cause me problems (see this thread). https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...threadid=10314 Because I want to encourage more authors to commit to ebooks (most won't unless they are secure) I continue to purchase them. However, in my view, the way ebook publishers treat their customers is tantamount to assuming all their customers are criminals! It annoys me that I have to "sign a contract" in order to read a book!

04-09-2007, 07:02 AM	#13
THJahar Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 58 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Leicester, UK Device: Jinke V2 Prototype	Even though I've purchased DRM'ed books and my second reader supports them, I will invariably remove the DRM by whatever means necessary. (even using the 'analogue hole' PrtScrn OCR) I'd rather have a book thats not formatted as well than one I cannot view or store wherever I want. I know that I'm by an offshoot supporting DRM by buying in that format, but I do try to get non-drm books first but sometimes you have no choice.

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04-09-2007, 10:18 AM	#14
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	DRM only makes copying difficult (and illegal) just like copying paper books is difficult (and illegal). However, unlike paper books DRMed books can only be read by certain devices. If they would provide the readers free, as they do for paper books, then maybe(?) DRM would be OK -- NOT!